It's Your Business! SBA Newsletter | March 7, 2013

It's Your Business!

U.S. Small Business Administration, Massachusetts District Office

8(a) Firm Owner Brian Chapman Named SBA's 2012 Minority Small Business Person of the Year

Lowell native Brian Chapman, president of Mill City Environmental Corporation (MCE), established his full service environmental services firm in 2001. MCE began as a waste management company specializing in assessment, management and disposal of hazardous wastes and materials. Over the years, the company has expanded to offer a complete range of the highest quality waste management solutions, including asbestos abatement and most recently rail services.

Mr. Chapman’s on-going vision for Mill City Environmental is to provide the necessary expertise and services to create a cleaner environment throughout the country and especially within the Lowell/Merrimack Valley communities. Chapman was born and raised in Lowell and always envisioned starting his business in his beloved city. After spending 14 years mastering the environmental cleanup industry at Fortune 100 companies Foster Wheeler (now Tetra Tech EC, Inc.) and Clean Harbors, he recognized that he could adapt his talent and specialized skills to make a meaningful impact both from an economic and environmental perspective. He founded Mill City Environmental and named his company in tribute to the great city of Lowell.

During the early stages of MCE’s operation, Chapman was challenged to overcome the stigma associated with being a start-up business. To help overcome this, Chapman made a strategic decision to apply to and gain acceptance into the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development program. This program’s mission, to help socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses gain preferential access to federal contracting opportunities, made great strategic sense to Chapman, as it would help to ensure the long-term success of MCE. MCE’s participation in the 8(a) program ultimately led to a number of contracts, including one for $3.2 million. And when MCE needed capital to support growth, an SBA guaranteed loan supplied the necessary funds.

Today, MCE is a thriving, award winning small business with 46 employees that serves federal, commercial and private sector clients in 17 states in the New England, Mid Atlantic, South and Southwestern territories.

Government Contracting 101

Looking for new markets for your small businesses’ goods or services? Consider selling to the federal or state government in 2013!

Learn how to break into this market.

Small business certifications are like professional certifications; they document a special capability or status that will help you compete in the marketplace. We will discuss these certifications:

Mass Office of Supplier Diversity ( formerly SOMWBA), Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Women Owned Small Business, Veteran and Service Disabled, 8(a) Business Development Program, and HUBZone Program

What you Need to Know about SBA Microloans

The Microloan Program provides small, short-term loans to small business concerns and certain types of not-for-profit child-care centers. The SBA makes funds available to specially designated intermediary lenders, which are nonprofit community-based organizations with experience in lending as well as management and technical assistance. These intermediaries make loans to eligible borrowers while also providing counseling. The maximum loan amount is $50,000, but the average microloan is about $13,000.

Save the Date!

The Greater New England Minority Supply Development Council will be holding its 3rd Annual Minority Business Enterprise Capital Summit, hosted by Eastern Bank, on Friday, March 15th from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at 195 Market Street in Lynn, Massachusetts.

The capital summit will bring you information on the three key areas of

financing for your business.

To RSVP for the event, please email Sarah James- sjames@gnemsdc.org or call our office at 617-578-8900.